JOHN LEDYARD. 277 



drawers, a fur cap, boots, and gown, all of which I 

 put on with the same cheerfulness they were pre- 

 sented with. Hospitality is a virtue peculiar to man, 

 and the obligation is as great to receive as to confer. 

 As soon as I was rendered warm and comfortable, 

 a table was set before me with a lamp upon it : all 

 the Russians in the house sat down round me, and 

 the bottles of spirits, tobacco, snuff, and whatever 

 Perpheela had, were brought and set upon it: these 

 I presented to the company, intimating that they 

 were presents from Commodore Cook, who was an 

 Englishman. One of the company then gave me 

 to understand that all the white people I saw there 

 were subjects of the Empress Catherine of Russia, 

 and rose and kissed my hand, the rest uncovering 

 their heads. I then informed them as well as I 

 could that Commodore Cook wanted to see some of 

 them, and had sent me there to conduct them to 

 our ships. 



"These preliminaries over, we had supper, which 

 consisted of boiled whale, halibut fried in oil, and 

 broiled salmon. The latter I ate, and they gave me 

 rye-bread, but would eat none of it themselves. 

 They were very fond of the rum, which they drank 

 without any mixture or measure. I had a very 

 comfortable bed, composed of different fur-skins, 

 both under and over me, and, being harassed the 



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